Yvette Cooper: The Government are today announcing support for 29 areas across the country who have bid to become new growth points, combining increased housing with new jobs, town centre regeneration and higher design and environmental standards.
	Last year the Government announced plans to increase housing supply as part of the response to Kate Barker's review. More houses are needed to help first time buyers, address overcrowding and keep up with rising demand. We are living longer and more people are living alone. If we continue to build at currently planned levels, the proportion of 30-year-old couples able to afford their own home will fall from over 50 per cent. today to nearer 30 per cent. in 20 years' time.
	But it is vital that new homes are built alongside jobs growth and infrastructure investment in order to deliver sustainable communities for the future. That is why, alongside other measures on planning, affordable housing and infrastructure funding, we invited local authorities and partners to put forward proposals for new homes as part of sustainable growth.
	Following a review of these new growth point proposals across Government and in particular in consultation with DEFRA and DfT and their agencies, we are announcing a total of 29 areas, put forward by over 70 local authorities which we are supporting. We are also publishing "Partnership for Growth", a summary of these proposals, copies of which will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses. Subject to consultation, testing and examination through the regional and local plan making processes, these proposals have the potential to add a total of up to 100,000 additional homes by 2016, an increase of around 30 per cent. on previous plans for housing supply in these areas.
	These proposals involve substantial jobs growth, town centre regeneration and measures to improve the quality of life and environment. Most of the bids include major employment proposals—over 130,000 jobs in the south-west and east of England regions alone. They include measures to improve skills, promote business start up, create new employment sites and widen the local economic base. They also include proposals to invest in green spaces and the local environment as well as town centre regeneration.
	Achieving this potential for sustainable, realistic and affordable growth will require a strong long term commitment between government, its agencies and local partners. The partnership we are announcing today is based on four principles:
	First, we want to work with local authorities to support the early delivery of more housing and ensure the type of housing provided responds to local and market conditions and affordability pressures.
	Secondly, we want to achieve growth which is sustainable, supporting schemes which set the highest standards of design and are exemplars of sustainable development, supporting the local environment and promoting ways to cut carbon emissions. These new developments will also be underpinned by the forthcoming planning policy statement on climate change and the code for sustainable homes to help reduce the carbon footprint of new housing, and lead the way towards our longer term aim of zero carbon development.
	Thirdly, we will work with local partners to ensure that infrastructure and services keeps pace with people and homes. We have begun a cross-Government process to support the new growth points involving all the major transport and environment agencies, as well as other regional and local partners. There is potential to make better health and education an integral feature of new design.
	On environmental infrastructure the programme should enable partners to identify and plan for the additional water supply, sewerage, waste and other environmental infrastructure their proposals require. They will then be able to show how these needs will be addressed when their specific detailed proposals come forward;
	On transport we need to achieve more sustainable travel outcomes, for example through the design and location of new development encouraging more use of bus, cycling and walking and minimising any increase in long distance commuting. We will continue to encourage partners to exploit existing public transport networks in determining the most sustainable locations for growth but we recognise that additional infrastructure will also be needed.
	Government have established the Treasury CSRO7 review to ensure that departmental resources across Government are targeted appropriately for providing the national, regional and local infrastructure necessary to support future housing and population growth.
	Fourthly, we recognise that to deliver growth successfully requires dedicated resources, specialist expertise and the ability to work closely with the private sector to optimise the potential for their investment. The funding we are announcing today will help local partners carry out critical studies on environmental and transport issues. In addition we will be asking English partnerships to work closely with the individual growth points to discuss what type of delivery support will be needed, how best that can be provided and to advise on the detailed programmes of development.
	New growth point status means that Government and local partners agree the potential for growth, and are committed to working together to ensure that growth will be sustainable, realistic and affordable. This shared assessment can inform the RSS process. It is up to the regional spatial strategies (RSS) to determine, among other things, the scale and distribution of provision for new housing. Specific site allocations must be decided through the local development framework (LDF) process.
	We are also pleased to announce initial funding allocations to each of the new growth points to support the work. These initial allocations, totalling £40 million, are for both capital projects and revenue support for studies and capacity building. Allocations are subject to detailed negotiation and appraisal of projects to ensure maximum benefit can be achieved from spending in 2007-08. Allocations for future years will be subject to the outcome of the CSR and we intend that from 2008-09 funding will be linked to local area agreements so as to give local partners greater flexibility on delivery. Consultation is still underway about the arrangements for LAAs and a statement will be made about this shortly.
	New Growth Points
	East Midlands
	3 Cities and 3 Counties—Derby, Leicester and Nottingham
	(Derby City Council, Derbyshire CC, Leicester City Council, Leicestershire CC, Nottingham City Council, Nottinghamshire CC)
	Grantham
	(South Kesteven DC and Lincolnshire CC)
	Lincoln
	(Lincolnshire CC, City of Lincoln Council, North Kesteven DC and West Lindsey DC)
	Newark on Trent
	(Newark and Sherwood DC)
	East of England
	Haven Gateway
	(Babergh DC, Colchester BC, Essex CC, Ipswich BC, Suffolk Coastal DC, Suffolk CC, Tendring DC)
	Norwich
	(Norwich City Council, Norfolk CC, Broadland DC, South Norfolk Council, the Broads Authority)
	Thetford
	(Breckland Council, Thetford Town Council, Norfolk CC)
	South East
	Basingstoke
	(Basingstoke and Deane BC)
	Didcot— South Oxfordshire
	(South Oxfordshire DC)
	Maidstone
	(Maidstone BC)
	Oxford
	(Oxford City Council)
	Partnership for Urban South Hampshire
	(East Hampshire DC, Eastleigh BC, Fareham BC, Gosport BC, Hampshire CC, Havant BC, New Forest DC, Portsmouth City Council, Southampton City Council, Test Valley BC, Winchester DC)
	Reading
	(Reading BC)
	Reigate and Banstead
	(Reigate and Banstead BC)
	South West
	Exeter and East Devon
	(Exeter City Council, East Devon DC and Devon CC)
	Plymouth
	(Plymouth City Council)
	Poole
	(The Borough of Poole)
	Swindon
	(Swindon BC)
	Taunton
	(Taunton Deane BC and Somerset CC)
	Torbay
	(Torbay Council)
	Truro
	(Carrick DC and Cornwall CC)
	West of England
	(Bristol City Council, Bath and North East Somerset Council, North Somerset Council and South Gloucestershire Council)
	West Midlands
	Within the Birmingham, Coventry and Black Country City Region:
	Birmingham and Solihull
	(Birmingham City Council and Solihull MBC)
	Coventry
	(Coventry City Council)
	Telford
	(The Borough of Telford and Wrekin)
	East Staffordshire—Burton-upon-Trent
	(East Staffordshire BC)
	Hereford
	(Herefordshire Council)
	Shrewsbury and Atcham
	(Shrewsbury and Atcham BC and Shropshire CC)
	Worcester
	(Worcestershire CC, Worcester City Council, Wychavon DC and Malvern Hills DC)

Alistair Darling: I would like to make a statement regarding a joint proposal from BNFL and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority about the process for implementing the sale of BNFL's subsidiary, British Nuclear Group. I would also like to make a statement on the establishment of a National Nuclear Laboratory to safeguard key nuclear research and development skills and capability. The Government's objectives for nuclear clean up, are:
	(i) keeping a clear focus on safety;
	(ii) ensuring the taxpayer gets best value for expenditure on clean up; and
	(iii) ensuring that, within this framework, we do what is best for British Nuclear Group as a business and especially for its employees and also its wider stakeholders, including the local communities.
	These objectives were essential elements of the Energy Act 2004, which established the NDA to take on decommissioning and cleaning-up the public civil nuclear legacy on a UK wide basis while bringing renewed drive and focus to this work through competition. The clear policy intention behind the Act was that while the sites themselves would remain in public ownership through the NDA, they would be operated in time by a range of different contractors.
	Since April 2005, the NDA has owned the sites and facilities previously owned by BNFL (the Magnox stations, Sellafield, THORP/SMP, and Springfields). BNG was created as a subsidiary of BNFL at the same time and was awarded short-term contracts to manage and operate those facilities on behalf of the NDA. All these sites were to be opened up to competition progressively in line with the NDA's obligations under the Energy Act.
	BNG consists of four key business areas: the management of the Sellafield contract; the management of the Magnox sites; Project Services—a specialist contractor at Sellafield and Magnox sites which is looking to expand non-NDA work; and a 33 per cent. stake in AWE, which manages the Aldermaston weapons complex on behalf of the Ministry of Defence. Its assets are these contracts. The sites and facilities are owned by the NDA and will continue to be.
	When announcing the sale to the House on 30 March, the then Secretary of State, my right hon. Friend the Member for Kingston upon Hull, West and Hessle (Alan Johnson) said he envisaged a sale of British Nuclear Group, as a single entity by autumn 2007 to coincide with the NDA awarding a new five-year contract for cleaning up the Sellafield site. Following that announcement, BNFL and the NDA have proceeded along this route with the emphasis on potential Sellafield performance given the size and urgency of the clean-up task at that site.
	However, as they have got into the detail it has become increasingly clear that this approach was not the best way of meeting the different needs of BNG's other businesses or staff. The Board of BNFL became concerned that the organisation best suited to succeed at Sellafield may be less suited to helping Magnox succeed in the subsequent competitions at its sites or to developing Project Services as a key contractor in the evolving market both here and overseas. These businesses may be better served by a range of operators with different skill sets rather than a single overall one.
	The BNFL Board's concerns were reinforced by evidence in the market that instead of single buyers for BNG, consortia were being formed for the bid, suggesting that a future split of BNG was likely with a risk that the non-Sellafield pieces might be sold on at a premium to the loss of the taxpayer. In addition, the requirements and duration of the formal procurement process for the Sellafield contract were felt to have the potential to damage the prospects for Project Services, which might have been restricted from pursuing new business opportunities during a prolonged sale process.
	The BNFL and NDA Boards have therefore concluded that it would be appropriate to modify their approach in response to this new information. Their joint recommendation is that BNG should continue to operate the Sellafield contract until the NDA can put in place a new contractor following a full competition (potentially the middle of 2008) and that BNFL should conduct individual sales of its other businesses on an early timescale to complete during the course of 2007.
	I have given these points very careful consideration. I have also considered all the representations made to me. I have concluded that that there are real benefits to Project Services and the Magnox business in separating them from the process of choosing the right contractor for Sellafield. I also believe that the best way of securing the right contractor for Sellafield is to proceed with a separate competition with the full focus on what is best at that site. That process will be run by the NDA, and the criteria it is setting will include, first-rate health, safety, security and environmental performance, and effectiveness as a contractor, as well as demonstrable engagement with stakeholders, including trade unions, and understanding the socio-economic issues of the area.
	On this basis and in the knowledge that the regulators agree with the change subject to strengthening of the site licensee company arrangements and capabilities, which I shall be insisting upon, I am satisfied that the Government should support the new approach proposed by BNFL and the NDA.
	Earlier in the summer, I announced that we would be carrying out some detailed work to establish how best to safeguard the UK's key nuclear R&D skills and capabilities to ensure that our future requirements are met. These capabilities reside principally within Nexia Solutions, a subsidiary of BNFL, and key facilities in the British Technology Centre in Sellafield, West Cumbria. I also said that whilst the UK nuclear R&D market is developing it might be necessary to preserve and develop these skills potentially as part of a National Nuclear Laboratory.
	In the light of these discussions, I am therefore pleased to say that we expect a National Nuclear Laboratory will be set up as soon as practicable. Subject to agreeing appropriate contractual terms, the laboratory will be based around the British Technology Centre in Sellafield, West Cumbria, and Nexia Solutions and managed by a contractor operator.
	As the NNL, it will play a key role in supporting the UK's strategic R&D requirements, and operate world-class facilities. As the market for the provision for R&D skills develops, the NNL will ensure key skills are safeguarded and enhanced.

Tom Harris: I am today laying before Parliament new guidance on the arrangements for making, assessing and determining applications to close rail services, stations and infrastructure, as provided for in section 43(1) of the Railways Act 2005. I will shortly be making orders to bring the guidance, and the related provisions of the 2005 Act, into effect in England, Scotland, and Wales from 1 December. Draft guidance on these arrangements, was issued tor consultation on 26 January, and the final version published today reflects the comments received during the consultation exercise.
	This guidance will ensure that safeguards and standard practices are applied to any proposals for changes on the rail network. For the first time, statutory guidance will be put in place on rail closures, making procedures clearer and more transparent. It will also ensure certain procedures are taken into account before any rail closure can be considered. The guidance requires that:
	All alternatives are considered.
	A full consultation takes place and that this includes passenger groups.
	The current and future impact on passengers are considered as well as the safety, economic and environmental costs or benefits.
	In contrast with current procedures, where the Secretary of State determines closure proposals, the independent Office of Rail Regulation must be satisfied that a robust economic analysis has been performed.
	The guidance covers separate processes in England and Wales, and Scotland. But to ensure consistency across the railway the two processes have been aligned and brought together in one guidance document.
	I have also placed in the libraries of the House copies of the Government's response to the consultation exercise on the draft guidance.